✍️ 3 Tips for How to Charge More as a Writer

How much to charge for your work as a freelance writer and creative-for-hire.

If you missed it, I’m running a special Black Friday deal for this newsletter and job board: get 50% off an annual subscription to my Writing Job Board — normally $80/year, it’s discounted to be just $40/year — which is just $0.76 cents per week.

I’ve never run a discount this big before, so get it before it expires on 12/3!

And as a heads up, this discount is only available to new paid subscribers, not current paid subscribers.

✍️ New Writing Job Board Comes Out Tomorrow!

If you missed the last issue of my writing job board, check it out at the link below:

🫖 Sunday Tea: 3 Tips for How to Charge More as a Writer

A question I get asked quite frequently is — how much should I charge as a freelance writer or a creative-for-hire?

For a longer answer, you can check out chapter 5 of my book Six-Figure Freelance Writer:

But I’ll also summarize my advice here in 3 tips for how to charge more:

1. Understand when to charge hourly vs. a fixed-rate price. Some projects and types of writing assignments are better if they’re billed hourly. Others should be billed at one flat rate. Understand what works best for you and the types of clients you’re serving!

2. Niche down or specialize in one deliverable or type of writing to charge more. Learn more about how to pick your writing niche here.

3. Everything is negotiable. Remember, you can (and should!) negotiate for a higher rate for freelance work. For example: clients have come to me wanting to pay me $3,000 for a landing page, and I negotiated that rate up to $10,000. In order to be a good negotiator, you have to have all of the fundamentals figured out about your freelancing business, first. But a good rule of thumb is that if nobody is telling you that you’re too expensive, you’re not charging enough.

Freelance writing changed my life: it’s allowed me to travel the world, invest in my fiction writing, and have a wonderfully flexible schedule. I hope in the new year you give yourself the gift of freelancing as well :)

🗞️ Writing News: The CIA is Giving Writing Advice, Now

I’m low-key obsessed with all of the content the CIA puts out on its website, including this article about fiction writing tips for NaNoWriMo.

📚 Author Corner: Get Free Books!

Happy Black Friday/Cyber Monday!

The Kindle versions of my books Six-Figure Freelance Writer: A Holistic Guide on Finding Freedom in Freelancing (nonfiction how-to guide about freelancing!) and The Nomad Detective: Volume I (a detective short story collection inspired by my travels) are now free on Amazon until midnight on 12/2.

Enjoy!

✨ Wellness for Writers: Swap Coffee with Hot Chocolate

Back in July, I quit coffee and my entire life improved for the better. (Not an exaggeration!)

Instead of coffee, I now drink hot chocolate in the mornings or when I’m meeting up with people at coffeeshops.

Hot chocolate scratches the same “itch” as coffee: it has a teensy tiny bit of caffeine to give your brain a bit of the good chemicals — but much less than caffeinated tea (as long as you don’t overdo the cocoa powder!) Plus, chocolate has some good-for-you flavanoids, making it basically a health drink ;)

It’s also hot and creamy when paired with some frothed milk, so it feels like a latte without the jitters.

My recipe:

• start with 1 tbsp cocoa powder

• add 1-2 tsp maple syrup or coconut sugar

• add boiling water and then a splash of your milk (frothed or plain) of your choice

📸 Photo of the Week: Working Remotely in Madeira, Portugal

When asked by family where was my favorite destination to work remotely from this year, Madeira, Portugal tops my list. Read my travel guide to learn more about how to plan your trip to this dreamy island for a self-guided writing retreat!

👀 Follow me on Substack Notes and Instagram for more!

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Sending creativity and good writing vibes your way,

-Amy